Automobile brake-operating means



April 7, 1925. 1,532,934

P. PALMGREN AUTOMOBILE BRAKE OPERATING MEANS Filed 001;. 27, 1924 Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT o Fice.

PHILIP PALMGREN, OF YATES CENTER, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO 3'. C. CULVER, 0F YATES CENTER, KANSAS.

AUTOMIOBILE BRAKE-OPERATING MEANS.

Application filed October 27, 1924. Serial No. 746,180.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP PALMGREN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yates Center, in the county of lVoodson and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful improvei'nents in Automobile Brake-Operatin Means; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

A. well known type of automobile in extensive use, is provided with a transverse brake-and-clutch-controlling rock shaft disposed under the front floor boards, said shaft having a pair of downwardly projecting arms which are connected with the front ends of brake rods extending to the hub brakes of the machine. The left-hand end of this shaft is provided with an upstanding hand lever by means of which it may be operated, and upon the enclosed-types of machines, this lever stands directly in the door-way at the left-hand end of the drivers seat, making it very inconvenient to enter or leave the machine at the left side and often causing tearing of the clothing. It is the object of my invention to provide a simple and inexpensive construction which will enable operation of the above-named rock shaft, without equipping this shaft with the upstanding lever, this lever being entirely cut off from any machine which is equipped with my invention after manufacture, although it will be understood that the lever in question is merely omitted if the invention is installed at the factory.

Another object of the invention is to provide operating means for the above-named rock shaft, provided with a hand-grip disposed adjacent the instrument board of the machine, so that it may be quickly located and operated without the necessity of leaning forward to a great extent or looking downwardly into the cowl.

A still further object is to provide brakeoperating means which may be easily connected with the left-hand downwardly projecting arm of the abovenamed rock shaft. and the brake rod which is pivoted to said arm.

resides in the novel subject matter hereinpose of operating it.

lVith the foregoing in view, the invention after described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing. Figure 1. is a side" elevation partly broken away and in section, showing the application of my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are perspective viewsshaft, and 6 designates one of the brake rods I "which is provided with a fork '7 at its front end, straddling the lower end of the arm The arm 5 is usually formed by an integral extension on the lower end of a hand lever which rises from the shaft 4.- for the pur- This lever, indicated at 8 in dotted lines, is cut off or omitted when using my invention, so that it will not obstruct the left-hand doorway, as now commonly occurs.

Spaced forwardly a considerable distance fromthe left-hand end of therock shaft 4, is a vertically disposed lever 9 which is fu1- crumed at 10 to a suitable bearing 11 secured by bolts or the like to the chassis".

frame 1. The lowerend of the lever 9 is suitably connected with the lower end of thearin 5. Preferably, in establishing this connection, a link 12 is provided having adjustable forks 13 and 14 at its front and rear ends, the fork 13 being pivoted at 15 to the lever 9, while the fork l-l straddles the fork 7 of the rod 6, said forks l4- and 7 being both connected with the arm '5 by a single pin 16.

Pivoted at 17 to the upper end of the lever 9, I have shown a rearwardly projecting rod or bar18 which passes slidably through a guide plate 19 secured tothe instrument board 3, the rear extremity of said rod or bar being provided with a hand-grip 20. At the lower edge of the rod or bar 18, I have shown a group of notches 21 forming teeth ing for engaging the guide plate 18 to hold the lever 9 in brake-applying position. I have also shown another notch 22 for engaging the plate to hold the lever 9 in proper position for retaining theshaft 4 in neutralposition, for holding the clutch of the machine disengaged without applying the rear hub -brakes. When the notch 22 is disengaged from the plate 19, and the rodor bar 18 is forced forwardly to the limit permittedby a stop 23 thereon, the shaft 4 is in position to permit operation of the machine in the usual, manner.

By providing the construction shownand described, or a substantial equivalent thereof, the doorway is not obstructed, and consequently, there is no danger of either tearing the clothing or releasing the shaft 4 and throwing the. machine into gear, when leavi or entering through said doorway. Moreover, the hand-grip 20 isfmoreeasily accessible than the usual hand lever 8, and it may readily be located without looking downwardly intothe cowl 2 and taking the eyes from the roadway. Thus, a number of accidents may be averted.

As excellent results are obtainable from the detailsdisclosed, they may well befollowed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous nii'nor'changes may be made.

1. In combination with an automobilehav ing a transverse brake-controlling shaft under the front floor boards, said shaft "having adownwardly projecting arm; a vertically disposed-lever spaced forwardly'from' the i left-hand end 'ofsaid shaft and dis osed suliiciently in advance of the drivenss'eat to prevent obstruction of the doorway at the left-hand end of -saidseat, fulcrum means for said lever mounted on the, frame of the machine, means connecting the lower end of said lever with the aforesaid arm," a 'hand grip in rear of the 'uppere'nd 'of'said lever and operatively connected with the latter,

and means for holding the lever in different positions.

2; In, combination with an automobile having a transverse brake-controlling shaft under the front floor boards, saidshaft havingva downwardly projecting arm; 'a vertically 'disposed lever spaced forwardly from the left-hand end of said shaft and disposed "s ufiici'ently 'i nadvance of the drivers seat to prevent obstruction of the doorway at the "left-hand'e'n-d' of said seat, fulcrum means for said lever mounted on the frame of the and a" guide secured to the machine and slid- 1 ably receiving said rod, said teeth being engageable with said guide to hold the lever in 7 different positions 3. In combination with an automobile having a transverse brake-controlling shaft under the front fioor boards, an arm project ing downwardly from said shaft, and a a brake rod eXtending rearwardly fromsaifd arm; a 'vertically disposed lever spaced forwar-(11yfrdm the left-hand end of said shaft and disposed sufiicientlyin advance of the drivers seat to prevent obstruction of. the doorway at the left-handend of saidseat, fulcrum means for said lever mounted onthe frame of the machine, a link pivoted to and extending rearwardly from the lower end of said lever, the rear end of'sa-id link having a fork straddling the aforesaid arm and the front end of the brake rod, single connecting pin passing through said fork, said arm and said brake rod,a hand-grip in rear of the upper end'ofsaidlever and operatively connected "with the latter, and means for holding the lever in d'ifierent positions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature. 

